Sunday, July 23, 2006

LONA Meeting Minutes of June 12, 2006

- New meeting location will be the Lyell Branch Library, starting on August 14th at 7pm

There is parking available in two adjacent lots. It is also handicapped accessible.

- Our new calendar was distributed to the members in attendance.

- We reviewed the minutes from the last meeting and our Burglary / Robbery Report. Minutes were approved.

- There are two new sex offenders living in our area. We don’t have their exact addresses because they are Level 2s, and addresses are only provided for Level 3s.

The National Night Out Against Crime – two events on two nights:

- On Monday, July 31st – Sector 3 will host this event, meeting at 5pm Susan B. Anthony Square, then at 6pm driving through parts of the Sector 3 neighborhoods, and finally congregating at the Edgerton Community Recreation Center for a picnic dinner.

LONA will be supplying two piñatas filled with candy for the children under 12 years of age to enjoy. We are hoping that NYS Assembly Member Susan John will be willing to hold the piñata rope as the kids play.

- On Tuesday, August 1st – On the Official National Night Out Against Crime, LONA will host our event at the Church Of Christ at 469 Lyell Avenue from 6pm-8pm. We willbe serving hotdogs and sodas, while offering face painting, balloons, and clowns for the kids. We will be distributing neighborhood safety information, as well as contact name and numbers for city departments that can help our area’s residents.

- Our first meeting of the new school year will be a TOWN MEETING on August 14th.Refreshments will be available. LONA has invited our local officials, such as - the Mayor of Rochester, the Chief Of Police, the entire City Council, our Monroe County Legislator, and our NYS Assembly Member - to bring a summary of their accomplishments over the past year, as well as to answer questions from their constituents, your neighbors.

- Donations have been requested from local stores and officials, and many have come through for us! HURRAY!!

- We reviewed our operating budget:

LONA collected $110 in dues, but spent $189.68 in expenses, like copying and stationary supplies. This left a negative balance of $-79.68, which Mike covered from his own pocket. Our LONA Cookbooks brought in $614, and cost $330 to make, which again Mike covered from his own pocket, so once the funds were all shifted and Mike was reimbursed for his out of pocket expenses, LONA ended up with a positive balance of $3.93.

- Sector 3 Newsletter – LONA submitted our events and our mission statement for the first edition, which was sent to print on June 9th

NET Update: Jose Cruz (428-7622)

- Housing: Top 15 Problem Properties -no list available from the NET office for the June 14th meeting

- Lead Forum at #17 School on June 19th, hosted by Molly Clifford, to help inform families, investors, etc.; our Lyell-Otis area is targeted as an area in need of help in fixing the lead problem; one must be properly trained to remove lead paint safely.

-NET will eventually start “street walks” to help survey properties in the area

NET’s changes take effect in July:

-changing inspectors, to bring new eyes and different experiences to each area

-will build mentoring relationships among inspectors

-hopes to make consistent NET offices, as some were working better (or were perceived that way) than others

High Grass and Weeds (HG&W) – NET is trying to stay on top of it, issuing tickets, making property owners comply with the law

NET’s CPOs are still changing, and “up in the air”; meeting scheduled for next week with Chief Moore; Lake, Genesee, and Lyell Sections will meet with the chief of the Westside, Commander Coriddi

Re: Rodgers Avenue and Wolf Street residents are concerned about the pallet company at the dead end side:

-burning wood pallets (many pressure treated with toxic chemicals) and etc, that is not legal in the city, as banned by the Monroe County Board of Health’s Sanitary Code; must find out if a permit was issued to allow “open burning”; the bad smell goes through the neighborhood

-prostitutes are working there and along the tracks; workers at the pallet company are picking up the hookers and “entertaining” them in their vehicles in the parking lot, where local neighbors (including young children) can observe them

Monroe County Legislator Carla Palumbo

-the budget is at a stand-off: the county filed a lawsuit against everyone (city towns, villages, schools, ect); they must come to the table as part of the community; put in referrals on ways to manage the deficit; meeting on Tuesday

City Councilman Bob Stevenson

-mono pole near railroad tracks at Otis and Curlew Streets will be a cellular tower, but they need a permit, as land is zoned “industrial”

City of Rochester crossed the billion dollar mark for it’s budget

-432 million for the city and 600+ million for the school district

-city depends on the sales tax; if intercept goes through 50 million would be lost – the price of the whole fire department

-some groups have banned together to fight the county as schools would be hurt

-court watch group has now followed 2000 appearances in court – a tremendous job!

-would like to take the PAC-TAC van to saturate / intercept prostitutes in the area

City’s Budget: “Good” News – more cops will be on patrol; “Bad” News – Certificate of Use is out the window – it would’ve cost $586K (it was supposed to be self sufficient, as fees would pay for the program)

- Park Patrol is gone as well – not in the budget at all; asking for a budget amendment

-playgrounds; four are in LONA area, but have no bathrooms, and fences are down

- No more Parks Department: Environmental Services & Heavy Equipment is a Division of Youth Recreation would run parks, and Environmental Services will mow; many new changes of divisions and organizations in the city under the Duffy administration

-Public Hearing on the budget regarding the city and school district on June 14

Carla Palumbo re: Glide Street

-from Lyell to Otis – new curbs!

-From Otis to Emerson – dug out new waterlines and then new curbs

-Bianchi Park: pushing the road over to create “cut-out” for parking

-Traffic pattern study: 4500 vehicles per day - 85% traveled at 37 miles or less, only 15% go very fast, causing possible sideswipes and cause accidents at the intersection because it is a wide street with no striping, which can slow down the traffic

-30’ vs 32’: people tend to drive slower if street were smaller, and less chance of losing trees; can’t put in speed bumps because it is a bus route